Opponents of the bill rely heavily on the “right to know” argument, the principle that putting a label on something doesn’t restrict anyone’s right to buy it, and people who want to eat GMO foods can just keep eating them. But in practice, most labeling advocates care about their right to know because they want the right to avoid GMO foods: most people who are OK with eating GMO foods don’t particularly care if they’re labeled or not.

The anti-labeling faction isn’t stupid: they pick right up on the fact that “right to know” is code for “right to avoid.” They also argue that right-to-know principles might have unintended effects in practice. In reality, the vast, vast majority of consumers haven’t done any research on the GMO foods or anything else, and make decisions based on all kinds of illogical assumptions (like assuming that “organic” foods have fewer calories, which is actually something people really think). Labeling opponents claim that in practice, shoppers will basically be misled into avoiding GMO foods because they just assume that if there’s a warning label, it must be bad.

Since nobody can force anyone else to make rational decisions, it’s not clear what to do about that impasse. In any case, the political fight was truly bizarre, with Republicans fighting against states’ rights while Democrats defended them. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

…all of which really raises another question: if we’re apparently going to have a presidential primary debate every other day, can we have one focused on food policy at some point? Surely they must have run out of things to say about the size of each other’s hands by now.

How to handle constructive criticism about your diet – assuming, of course, that you want to handle it at all. Mark Sisson has some useful advice for dealing with the haters, the skeptics, and the concerned family members who just want you to be healthy and aren’t quite sure about this Paleo thing. (Mark’s Daily Apple)

This next study is cool and sad at the same time. Using public transit, walking, and biking to work are all associated with lower body fat percentage (a better measure of “fatness” than BMI) than driving a car. That’s great, right? Why is that sad? Because it’s a really sad referendum on the state of physical activity today when walking to the bus stop is an unusual amount of exercise every day. (It would also be important to question whether this effect has anything to do with that small amount of exercise at all, or whether people who bike and walk to work tend to also engage in other healthy behaviors, like eating well).

Why seaweed is amazing (and how to cook it) – this post covers everything, and from an AIP-friendly perspective. (The Paleo Mom)

Feeding kids Paleo – it’s always an incredibly touchy subject, but here’s a look at the way one set of parents are doing it. (Robb Wolf)

If you support GMO labeling on right-to-know grounds, how do you answer concerns about consumer education? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

P.S. Have a look at Paleo Restart, our 30-day program. It lets you jump into Paleo, lose weight and start feeling great.